Note:
This is a bit of a Fan Work of another FanWork; Stitch TRIVERSE by my good friend Aurora D Barenzu, but it's also a take on the concept of the multiverse and how characters from AUs may interact with each other. I plan to get meta with this one, so I'll see how things go with it~
PROLOGUE: Ensemble
The horizon shimmered with red. Bright ruby flecks and crimson streaks swirled in a deep scarlet haze. A storm was brewing, golden flashes of lightning providing a small but stark contrast to the varying shades of red.
If one looked closely at the cyclone, they would have noticed something macabre at its center; flecks of ash and carbon shards orbited the flickering forms of two inhabitants of a universe long dead-long mobile, concentrated back into the period-sized dot it'd been before its Big Bang.
Two consciousnesses remained of the world they'd eaten, and both were regretful. One had resigned themself to simply watch the remains of a black stone circle around the outer rim of the storm. He didn't need it anymore, but he wanted to keep it; a reminder of who he'd once been and what he'd originally used it for. The other had completely given hers up in favor of well…being the storm itself. He preferred to stay at its center, deciding where they should go and when they should stop and let some of their excess energy off. She led them, but he carried their map.
Currently, they were running away from someone. Not that they could really "run" anymore, but they were. He was following them and had for quite some time. He didn't like it, honestly-this was his old mentor, but something was…wrong.
Something felt off about this version of them.
He had to open up another portal-the counterpart was close.
He wished his trainer were here-not whoever this was, but his. He would've told him to run from this sinister alternate holding up what should've been a coaxing hand, but was marred by purple and green burns and…stunk. He couldn't describe just what this person smelled like, but it was the same impression he'd gotten from back when he was solid, opened the lab's fridge and found some of the beef had gone rancid. The idea a zombie was following them flashed into his mind as he watched this version of his trainer, but he couldn't bring himself to be humored by it.
She'd gotten the portal open. They filed in-her first, as always, and him last, eyeing the lone figure patiently watching them leave.
The green and gray shape could only watch as the portal closed, leaving him alone in the moonlit inner forest of Kauai. He simply sighed and shrugged, looking down at a dark purple hand and activating a small device on his wrist.
"That's the closest they've let me get so far…" He mused, pulling up his map. A shimmering web of worlds splattered across its holographic display in every color of the rainbow, each one corresponding to energy concentrations across the multiverse.
It used to be easy to find these two; they once left behind a trail of heat energy so extreme they razed entire cities to ash if they generated on top of them, but recently, they'd been getting harder to find. It was almost as if their energy was diminishing, and he hoped it wasn't. After all, their store would provide him with exactly what he needed to carry out his plans.
A crack echoed throughout the woods, but it did little to faze him.
He'd seen them coming. He knew them all too well by this point.
"Drop the map, shithead."
The swear didn't match up with the high, soft voice of experiment 609, but it didn't stop him from brandishing a net gun directly at him. 033 watched as a glowing pink cage flickered into existence around him, but could only gaze at this version of 609 with interest.
He was another product of that Earth girl's meddlings. He could tell from his cracked and useless heating element. The pink light illuminated a web of scars traveling up his limbs and face, and although it was obscured by a heavy maroon jacket, 033 knew this 609's ear was ripped at the bottom. His companion-a more whole duplicate dressed in navy, stepped up behind him and charged his heating element as the duo faced 033.
They were too late. He'd already seen where his target had gone.
He calmly turned off the map…by entering the coordinates to the world they'd jumped into. The two stared in horror as the device announced them, the cracked mirror of his 609 lowering his gun in dismay as the cage began to flicker.
033 watched them for a moment before he spoke.
"Mine would've never done this."
"We're not yours." The 609 snapped, narrowing his eyes at 033, "You don't know us."
"Clearly I don't, because mine would've been much more thankful."
"For what?"
The 033 fell silent, only fixing the two 609s' with a gentle smile. The companion of the scarred 609 gulped and shrank behind him upon seeing it, whispering something to him in unease. His companion nodded, and a pair of cuffs manifested around 033's arms.
He sighed. "Again? You know there's nothing left, right?"
Their only answer to him was a glare. 033 deftly pulled his hands out of the cuffs, watching as the shadows obscured his fingerbones. He irritably turned to face the 609s, but at the same time, couldn't help but feel a bit excited. They may hate him at the moment, they might even be trying to capture him, but they'd still have a front-row seat to witness their worlds be rewritten into kinder versions of themselves. Perhaps the 609 entrapping him wouldn't have his scars or ruined organ. Maybe the one behind him would have something to stay home for. Neither would be bothering him anymore either, so this would be as much a benefit to him as it would be to them.
They wouldn't remember him, but his impact on their lives would be invaluable nonetheless.
033 concentrated for a moment, opening up a portal. It swirled purple and green, seeming to suck the light from the pink cage surrounding him. 033 cast another glance back at the two as he stepped through, giving them a wave as the portal closed behind his tail.
The two Heats watched 033 disappear into the portal, his smug smile seeming to remain even as it dissolved into the shadows behind him. The less experienced of the two, who'd been holding his breath, let out a gasp and started to pant as the portal dissipated. His rougher companion immediately threw an arm around him for support, letting him lean into him as he fumbled in his coat pocket for a communicator.
"Again…and they let him get real close at that…" He muttered, hand encasing the small red device and flicking it on. "Hey-hey-come on, we're gonna be fine Merc, just-"
"He's close!"
"Then sit the hell down and let me call Argent! We may need some of the others if he's gettin' right up to them."
Mercury complied, taking a deep breath as he sat down on the forest floor. His counterpart remained standing, waiting for the call to come in…
"Galena?"
The high voice of one of their organization's five leaders sounded urgent. She must've watched the whole thing from the base.
"Argent? We need backup; the moldy hammer's getting ready to corner them."
"I saw. I'm going to put together a team. Right now, just follow him in-"
Galena and Mercury both jumped as their leader's words were cut off by a loud shriek, Mercury immediately got to his feet and rushed to his teammate's side upon hearing it.
"Argent-what's going on?! Pick up-is he-"
"LILO-!" Their leader's scream threw him off and Galena could hear another cry in the background; Argent's Lilo. His heart sunk.
Had he…was he attacking the home base?!
"Arge-shit, shit!" He screamed at the static now emanating from the communicator before dialing another number-Sparky's.
Rigel as a codename.
"Galena?! What's going on?!" The electrical voice crackled through the device, "We have a situation back here-"
"We heard it all!" Mercury joined in, "Argent and her Lilo got attacked!"
"That's not the worst part. We know it's him by the way, he left his calling card." Rigel's voice growled, "He warped them to the world you're going into. From the looks of it, he's opening up portals from another one as we speak. Gods know who or what he's pulling in from there."
There was dead silence as the H-Modded Sparky's words sunk in. The two agents eyed the communicator in unease for a moment before Galena ignited a device strapped to his arm, aiming it at the ground in front of them. "Any coordinates for that thing?"
"We have them, we're sending them over right now."
"I'll warn though. This one…this one might give you two some culture shock." Rigel said, "It's an odd one."
"Is it a Yuna world?"
"Nope. It's kind of like Argent's universe."
"Oh…oh gods."
"Yeah. On the one hand, you've got two more allies. On the other…might have to give them some extra protection while you're there."
"Well, thanks for the heads up." Galena said, inputting the coordinates displayed on the communicator's screen, "We'll start looking for them when we enter."
"You do that, just be careful."
The portal opened up beneath the duo, swirling a pastel pink and red. Galena stood back and held out a hand to Mercury, who gripped it and took a deep breath. The Heat alternate paused, then jumped into the portal, dragging his companion after him.
Argent had grabbed her Lilo during their fall. She wasn't sure how she'd done it, but she'd twisted her body so Lilo was snugly situated just under her neck, her hammer-shaped head shielding her from whatever was waiting for them at the bottom of the portal.
Her tail would probably take some damage. She wasn't sure how much, but she supposed she was about to find out.
The back of her head slammed into the dirt of a clearing, but she kept it as still as possible. Her eyes were closed, but she gripped Lilo as tightly as she could as the latter trembled into her jacket.
She…hadn't let her in on exactly who they were facing. Not enough to where she knew the true threat this version of her posed, but enough to understand he was dangerous.
And he'd attacked her first-his shadowy claw had gripped Lilo's ankle before Argent's tail as he'd dragged them into the portal he'd generated under them. The thought made Argent's eyes snap open in anger, narrowing at the sight of the rotting counterpart standing a few feet from them.
He-they-all of them, no matter who they were or which world they came from, were patient no matter who they were facing. Unless that someone was Gantu or Hamsterviel. But that tranquility was unnerving to see on a version of her who was literally falling apart. Argent shakily stood up, placing a defensive arm around Lilo's head and snarling at her alternate.
Arsenic-her codename for this counterpart-merely shrugged at her hostility, placing both arms behind his back and offering them a smile.
It wasn't a kind one.
"Enjoying the show?"
"Eat blitznak."
"In front of the child?"
"Like you care."
"You're right, I don't."
The two stared at each other awkwardly after the exchange, Arsenic crossing his arms and looking off into the distance. There was no red haze in the sky, so the two must be sleeping for the night. He turned back to the pair and gestured in the direction he was heading.
"I can take you with me."
"I'd prefer you do the opposite."
"Hmm. But I need to make sure she-" He pointed at Lilo, who stared at him in confused fear, "-doesn't kill anyone else."
"She hasn't done anything, you sick piece of-"
"She will eventually." Arsenic cut his counterpart off with a wave of a shadowy hand, "I think I might actually avoid erasing her from your world, just so you get the worst ending of us."
"Argent, what is he talking about?" Lilo asked, but the Hammerface counterpart shushed her, "Don't talk to him."
"She's right; don't talk to me. You aren't worth my time anyways." The green and gray alternate said, fixing Lilo with a snarl. He turned his back and trudged his way into the undergrowth, Argent and Lilo watching as a decomposing trail of vegetation followed him down the path.
Argent gulped as she watched him go, but her thoughts immediately went to the human girl she was still squeezing. She quickly pulled Lilo away from her and cupped her face in both hands. "Lilo, are you hurt? Do you feel faint or-"
"I'm fine Argent. I mean, I scraped my knee when we hit the ground, but nothing's from him." Lilo explained as the 0-series continued to check her for injuries.
Argent found the scrape and sighed, seeing it wasn't purple or…bright glowing green like any of her alternate's given wounds. "Alright. Sit down, let me patch that up."
The two were silent as Argent cleaned the dirt from the wound, Lilo gripping a stick in between her hands and sniffling against the sting of the alcohol. A gentle "Done" following the placement of a patch over her knee signaled she was in the clear to stand, and Lilo shakily got to her feet as her experiment partner took her hand.
"We need to find shelter for the night. I'll lead, okay?"
"But what if he shows up again?"
"Not likely. He wants us here, but we're not his main target." Argent began to walk through the undergrowth, kicking away weeds as she narrowed her eyes at a road leading to what she knew was Kokauwa Town's main street. There were inns around there-ones with security she could easily bypass.
"What…was he talking about back there? About erasing me and…"
"Lilo…" She hung her head; she'd struggled with how best to explain this to her, and now…
…Knowing Arsenic, he'd mentioned his plan on purpose around her.
"Why was he focusing on me so much?" Lilo's voice cut into her thoughts, but she shook her head to stop her, "It's…unpleasant."
"I can tell. But if it's about me, then I've gotta know."
"How about this. We find shelter, and then I'll fill you in." She said, glancing back to Lilo as the two reached the road. Lilo nodded and muttered a thanks, but she sounded exhausted from the stress of the last few minutes. Argent got the feeling she'd be carrying her into wherever they were sneaking, but for now, the two were walking towards any of the hotels scattered around their town's streets. Argent's gaze traveled down towards her uniform-now creased and dusty from the fall. It was a suit hiding her weapon-a small telescope-like device clinking just underneath her shirt. She gripped it in her free hand and glowered at the approaching streetlights.
She disliked using it. It was only for self-defense, its light changing the perceptions and consciousness of whoever gazed at it. Its effects were temporary, but there were no defenses against it.
After all, she'd been gifted it by their group's reality-bending founder.
It seemed however, it'd be seeing much more action than usual within the coming days…